Infographics in social studies lessons as a tool for developing reading literacy

Buyarov Dmitrii Vladimirovich ORCID: 0000-0002-8337-6817 PhD in Philosophy Associate Professor; Department of General History, Philosophy and Cultural Studies; Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogical University 675000, Russia, Amur region, Blagoveshchensk, Lenin str., 104, room 456 buyarov_d@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Subachev Stepan Vladimirovich Bachelor; Department of General History, Philosophy and Cultural studies; Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogical University 675000, Russia, Amur region, Blagoveshchensk (Amur Region), Lenin St., 104 spektor77ray@gmail.com

Introduction. The modern world is a world of texts that surround a person everywhere. A person needs not only to be able to read, but also to be able to critically comprehend and apply information obtained from the text in practice. In this regard, the development of reading literacy plays an important role in the formation of citizens capable of analysis and critical thinking, which is certainly one of the most urgent tasks of a modern school.

The purpose of this study is to analyze infographics as a tool for developing reading literacy in social studies lessons, develop infographics on some topics of the 10th–11th grade social studies course and present techniques for working with it. The research used the method of theoretical analysis of scientific publications, which made it possible to study existing approaches to defining the concept of "reader's literacy", its content and methods of its formation among students. In the course of the theoretical work, methods and techniques were selected to confirm the author's hypothesis in the framework of the pedagogical process. In the process of teaching, a pedagogical experiment was carried out, which confirmed the effectiveness of the development of reading literacy among students using various types of texts and innovative tasks. The students were divided into control and experimental groups. The control group used traditional methods of teaching social studies, while the experimental group used innovative methods, including infographics. The results of the pedagogical experiment demonstrated the effectiveness of using infographics in the process of forming reader's literacy.

The scientific novelty of the work lies in the use of infographics as the subject of research, which is a very effective but underestimated tool for improving reader literacy. Today, the main attention of methodologists is focused on discussing the concept of "reader's literacy", the characteristics of text types, and methods of working with texts. At the same time, certain techniques and technologies that contribute to improving the effectiveness of teaching modern students, who are characterized by clip thinking, have not been sufficiently studied. Infographics are an interesting but little-used tool in this area.

Much attention is paid to the problem of developing reading literacy in modern science. There is a significant number of studies devoted to this topic and its various aspects. For example, O.Y. Strelova devoted a series of articles to this topic ^{[1, 2,]}. She examines PISA tools in teaching history, analyzes "HR tasks", determining their capabilities in the process of developing schoolchildren, and also characterizes "HR skills". Today, the problem of developing reading literacy in history lessons is more studied. In addition to theory on the topic of reading literacy, special attention is paid to innovative techniques such as insert, block cluster technique, mental map technique and case technology ^[3]. N.N. Smetannikova analyzes concepts and terms related to the topic of reading literacy ^[4].

E.S. Balashova and I.A. Yerofeyeva present reader's literacy as a component of functional literacy in their work ^[5]. The article provides practical advice on what effective methods of developing reading literacy can be used in teaching. Effective techniques and methods of working with texts in history and social studies lessons are presented in the methodological guide for teachers of history and social studies by E.G. Zimina ^[6]. G.A. Zuckerman in his research makes an in-depth analysis of the definition of the term "reader's literacy" ^[7]. It also examines in detail the reading skills. The study provides a large amount of statistical data. The appendix to the study contains examples of tasks for assessing reading literacy. Reading literacy is characterized as understanding texts, using them, evaluating them, drawing conclusions, and expanding one's knowledge to participate in society.

The main part. In the modern information society, in which access to information has become more extensive and diverse, the question of how to apply this information is acute. Therefore, the definition given in the PISA study focuses on the practical skills characteristic of reading literacy. In addition to the problem of "reading and applying", there is another problem. The National Program for the Support and Development of Reading highlights perhaps the key problem: the problem of declining interest in reading as such. "Declining interest" is a global trend. The decline in interest in reading is explained by the increasing shortage of knowledge and constructive ideas in Russian society. A modern school is faced with the task of arousing interest in reading among schoolchildren and teaching them how to put into practice the information obtained through reading. To accomplish these two tasks, we need to understand the modern student: how he thinks, what he is interested in.

Researchers claim that nowadays schoolchildren have so-called clip thinking. T.V. Semenovskikh defines clip thinking as follows: "it is the process of reflecting a variety of different properties of objects, without taking into account the connections between them, characterized by fragmented information flow, illogic, complete heterogeneity of incoming information, high switching speed between fragments of information, lack of a coherent picture. perception of the surrounding world" ^{[8, p. 5]}.The problem of clip thinking in modern Russian science has been approached from different angles, from different fields of scientific knowledge: psychology, pedagogy, sociology, philosophy. M.A. Kupchinskaya and N.V. Yudalevich consider the phenomenon of clip thinking in teaching ^[9]. Their work examines the reasons for the emergence of clip thinking among the "new generation of screen people." This study draws attention to both the negative aspects of clip thinking and the positive ones. It is also noted that there is a need to change some aspects of the learning process, to transform it into modern trends.

Clip-based thinking does not arise suddenly, but is formed gradually, according to such researchers as: V.L. Tsvetkov, A.A. Pavlova, ^[10], D.I. Kubantseva ^[11], I.P. Berezovskaya ^[12]. What are the reasons for its formation among students? The first is the high spread of digital technologies. The constant use of gadgets (smartphones, tablets, computers) leads to fragmented perception of information. The high integration of digital technologies into human life leads to the fact that real communication and the exchange of experience are gradually giving way to virtual communications, which leads to increased activity on social networks, where brief information and visual images are mainly used. The content that students consume on social media is presented in short, visually appealing formats: posts on social media. social media, short videos, etc. Such an environment stimulates the development of clip thinking and makes it difficult to analyze complex information. The second is multi–screen. Almost from birth, the child is immersed in several screens at once (TV, smartphone, tablet, etc.). The constant switching between screens creates a habit of short-term perception of information among schoolchildren. This affects the fact that their attention is fragmented, which makes it difficult for them to focus on one specific activity. The third thing worth noting is that the volume of information received has increased, which is also influenced by the high spread of digital technologies. Schoolchildren are exposed to a constant stream of information from social networks, computer games, news, etc. This overloads their cognitive abilities and makes it difficult for them to focus on any long-term task.

The formation of clip thinking is a process influenced by various factors from different areas of a child's life. Modern culture itself influences the formation of this type of thinking. Movies and music videos focus on immediate impact and evoking emotions from the audience. Students perceive such content as a model for their behavior and thinking. Speaking about the negative aspects of clip thinking, it is impossible not to mention the positive aspects that this type of thinking possesses. First, it's multitasking. In his article "Informatics as a means of solving the problem of clip thinking," D.M. Blinov writes: "Children of the Internet generation can simultaneously listen to music, chat, "surf the web, edit photos, while doing homework" ^{[13, p. 36]}. Secondly, clip-based thinking allows students to easily and quickly perceive large amounts of information that come from various sources, and highlight the main thing from this volume of information. Thirdly, the ability to process information quickly can help students solve problems and make decisions, which is important both in the learning process and in everyday life. Taking into account the minuses and pluses of thinking of modern schoolchildren, it is necessary to choose the right tools for the development of reading literacy, so that they contribute to the effective formation of reading skills and are relevant (meet the abilities and interests of students).

Modern teachers can pay attention to such a tool as infographics. Laptev V.V. in the article "Infographics: basic concepts and definitions" gives the following definition: "infographics is an area of communicative design based on the graphical representation of information, connections, numerical data and knowledge" ^{[14, p. 181]}. The work of D.M. Blinov, whom we have already quoted above, is of significant interest. An article titled "Infographics as a means of solving the problem of clip thinking," in which he describes the disadvantages of clip thinking, however, he suggests looking at clip thinking not as something that needs to be fought with all our strength, but as the inevitability of time that needs to be taken and "use clip thinking in the learning process of students." in order to increase the effectiveness of the educational process" ^[13]. The work by O.V. Vologda and N.Y. Omezhkova: "The use of infographics in geography lessons as one of the means of forming reader's literacy" provides specific examples of infographics on geography, and describes the methodology of working with them. It describes the skills that students acquire in the process of working with infographics ^[15]. A team of authors such as P.M. Gorev, N.G. Kolobova, N.S. Zobnina, O.S. Bragina and N.N. Syrtseva described in their research what pedagogical tasks infographics can solve and what types of infographics exist ^[16]. After that, the techniques of working with it were demonstrated using specific examples of infographics.

Infographics are a type of continuous text that is a visual representation of information that combines text, illustrations, graphics, and diagrams. Analyzing the type of thinking and interests of modern children, we can conclude that infographics can become an effective tool in the process of developing reading literacy. Firstly, this is due to the fact that infographics are visually appealing to students. Secondly, as we have found out, modern schoolchildren perceive information in fragments and infographics, in this case, correspond to the peculiarities of the type of thinking that children possess. This means that students will be comfortable working with this tool. Thirdly, the clear structure that is presented in the infographic will help students learn how to systematize their knowledge. That is, infographics can be effectively used to form reading skills, since students will be comfortable working with it, it is a familiar tool for them both in what form and in what quantity information is contained in it, and because infographics are often used online as advertising or as a tool for transmitting cognitive information. N.V. Kubrak cites two approaches to working with infographics ^[17]: the creation of infographics by a teacher in order to draw students' attention to the topic and the independent creation of infographics by students based on the conducted research.

Within the framework of both approaches, the teacher is given the opportunity to contribute to the process of developing reading skills. In the first case, students work with infographics as a continuous text. In the second case, the teacher explains to the students what infographics are, their capabilities, and the principles that should be followed when creating them, and then gives them the task of preparing an infographic on a topic. The student works with the material and creates infographics himself. With this approach, the student interacts with various texts, analyzes, finds the necessary information and systematizes it. This work allows students not only to learn new information, but also to develop data analysis skills, interpret and present information in a visual form, and also contributes to the formation of reading literacy among schoolchildren.. This work can be done not only individually, but also in a group. In the future, he can provide this infographic to his classmates so that they can independently familiarize themselves with the research topic, or the student can publicly present the results of his work and independently explain the topic he was working on.

For example, in the 11th grade, in a lesson on "Economics: science and economy", the teacher can give a task ^{[18, p. 15]}: read a paragraph for the next lesson, prepare an infographic, and provide it in electronic form. Next, the teacher divides the class into two groups, gives each group material for preparing infographics (watman, writing supplies, illustrative material, etc.) and gives a task: one group prepares an infographic on the topic "Economics as a science", the other group prepares an infographic on the topic "Economics as a farm". At the end of the lesson, the groups present their work to the entire class.

It is the first approach to working with infographics that should be discussed in more detail. Here are examples of such work for grades 10-11 and consider what reading skills can be formed in the process. So in the lesson on "Economic growth and development" ^{[18, p. 21]} in 11th grade, the teacher can use the following infographic (Fig. 1).

1. Economic growth and development. D.V. Buyarov, S.V. Subachev.

This infographic can serve as a worksheet for students. After students receive the infographic, they will have to analyze it, and then complete several tasks, for example: "Based on the data presented in the infographic, answer the question: what is the difference between extensive and intensive economic growth?". "From what phase does the economic cycle begin?" "What is NTR? What is the difference between NTR and NTP? Can you give examples of NTR from history?". "Are economic growth and economic development the same thing?" "A program for the development of virgin lands has begun to be implemented in country A. Old machinery is used in the cultivation process. What type of economic growth is represented in country A? To answer the question, use the information contained in the infographic."

In the process of working on the first three questions, students develop the skills to find and extract the necessary information from the text. The fourth task is aimed at developing the ability to use information obtained from the text to solve current problems.

Another example: a lesson on the topic "Dynamics of social development" ^{[19, p. 25]} (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Global problems of our time (without names). D.V. Buyarov, S.V. Subachev.

Figure 2 shows an infographic with omissions. The fact is that this infographic contains information about the global problems of our time, but the problems are not specifically identified. One of the job options that can be used here is combining work with solid and non-continuous text. Students need to study the information presented on the infographic, then supplement it by entering the missing elements there: the names of global problems of our time, using the text of the textbook.

Fig. 3. Global problems of our time (with names). D.V. Buyarov, S.V. Subachev.

When working with this infographic (Fig. 3), you can also use tasks such as: "Analyze the infographic and choose which judgments are true and which are false:"Blood transfusion is the most common way of HIV transmission.” "The infographic contains a photo of the event that took place on September 11, 2001." "What is the demographic problem?" "Using the data provided in the infographic, explain the danger of third world countries lagging behind developed countries." "Using the information presented in the infographic and knowledge from the social science course and other disciplines, explain how the global problems of our time are connected."

Working with the first, second and third tasks develops the ability to find and extract information that is located in one text fragment. The fourth task contributes to the formation of the ability to establish logical connections between facts and statements, as well as to express and argue their own point of view.

Fig. 4. Political regimes. D.V. Buyarov, S.V. Subachev.

Figure 4 shows the infographic constructor. Students can be given the opportunity to assemble infographics from pre-prepared structural elements. This task can be used in the lesson of learning new material: students will need to familiarize themselves with the text of the paragraph, find the necessary information, and then correctly compose the infographic (correctly correlate the signs with the political regimes to which they are inherent (Fig. 5)). Also, this infographic can be used when repeating the completed material by providing this assignment as an independent work in the classroom.

Fig. 5. Political regimes. D.V. Buyarov, S.V. Subachev.

In addition, this infographic can be used as a ready-made one. In this case, students can be offered the following task: analyze the infographics and recall examples from movies, TV series, games, books, or history, and show how these examples reflect the features of a particular regime. This task, in addition to contributing to the formation of reading literacy among schoolchildren, will also raise their level of cognitive interest by referring to a familiar field for them.

Fig. 6. Functions of culture. D.V. Buyarov, S.V. Subachev.

Students can be offered a job with the following infographic: "Cultural functions". Students will have to familiarize themselves with the text of the paragraph, analyze it, after which students will have to complement the infographic by drawing appropriate illustrations for each cultural function that would help them understand what each function means. Such work will help improve their ability to find and extract information from the text, formulate the main idea and use images to reflect the information received.

An experiment was carried out in the course of the authors' pedagogical activity. During the trimester, students from two parallel classes studied the same topics, but using different teaching techniques. In the control class, traditional techniques and methods were used, and in the experimental class, techniques for developing reading literacy, primarily infographics. The results of the pedagogical experiment confirmed the initial hypothesis about the effectiveness of the use of innovative techniques, including infographics. As can be seen from the diagram below: in both classes (groups), the level of skills associated with the need to give relatively simple responses to reproduction has practically not changed. At the same time, the experimental group has increased the level of skills to establish logical connections between facts, the ability to correlate information with various sources. The level of ability to use argumentation from a debatable (including personal) point of view has also increased. This is partly due to additional creative and research work with clusters, diagrams, and nonlinear texts. The results of the experimental work are reflected in the diagram below.

Fig. 7. Comparative results of input and output control based on the results of using infographics.

The variety of assignment forms based on the use of infographics is limited only by the teacher's imagination. One of the disadvantages of using this tool would be to note the preparation of the infographics themselves – with the amount of time that the teacher has, it is difficult to allocate enough time to prepare high-quality infographics that will really be visually appealing to modern schoolchildren. However, high-quality material can be found freely available on the Internet on some topics. In addition, Zh.E. Ermolaeva, O.V. Lapukhova and I.N. Gerasimova in their article "Infographics as a way to visualize educational information" indicate online services in which it is possible to conveniently and quickly create infographics: "Easel.ly , Piktochart.com and Infogr.am " ^{[20, p. 5]}. There are also applications that can be used to create infographics, for example: PowerPoint, Visme, Venntage, InShot, Snappa, Genial.ly , Easy, Befunkv, Adobe Spark, Biteable, Keynote (this application was used to create infographics, which is given in our research).

Conclusion. In conclusion, it is necessary to focus on a number of conclusions. Today, pedagogical science and the educational system pay great attention to the problem of developing reading literacy. There are various techniques for developing students' reading skills, which are also necessary in the context of functional literacy. The tools that are used by the teacher in the process of forming students' reading skills can be very different. However, it is necessary to take into account how relevant they are for modern schoolchildren, how interesting they will be, how convenient and comfortable they will be working with them. Students should not be forced, but interested. Clip-based thinking is typical for many modern students. Of course, this is a problem, but you need to try not only to deal with it, but also try to use the features of such thinking and perception for educational purposes. Infographics, which include visual material, allow students to increase their perception of educational information. Infographics can not only successfully develop reading skills, but also contribute to the realization of students' creative abilities.

There are various types and variants of infographics, which is a continuous text and is a visual representation of information combining text, illustrations, graphics, diagrams, tables. Infographics can be used as part of a multimedia presentation, as a worksheet, and can be the result of individual and collective projects of students. At the same time, the variety of assignment forms based on the use of infographics is limited only by the imagination and creativity of the teacher. There are various software applications available for creating infographics.

Of course, the process of forming reader's literacy is a complex process, using infographics alone will not give a positive result, but as one of the tools, infographics can and should be used in social studies lessons. The use of infographics, due to its visual component, can make the process of developing reading skills more vivid and exciting, and as a result more effective. The practical significance of this research lies in the fact that the developments that were prepared in the course of the research can be used in school in social studies classes in grades 10-11, as educational tools, and the conclusions that were drawn as a result of the work can be useful not only for teachers of social studies, but also for teachers of other disciplines, as they can contribute to the expansion of the tools they use in their lessons in the process of developing reading literacy.